The Bleeding Edge of Itch Research
<p>Scratching an itch can be extremely satisfying — even pleasurable — but persistent, long-term itching makes millions of people miserable. Scientifically, the question of what causes us to itch has left scientists scratching their heads for centuries.</p>
<p>That’s ironic, given that the first medical definition of itch came in 1660, when the German physician Samuel Haffenreffer described it as “an uncomfortable sensation that provokes a desire to scratch.” He was spot on, and that remains the best definition to this day. But despite Haffenreffer’s early clarity, our understanding of itch progressed very little in the centuries since.</p>
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